simply makes you stranger
by Duchess of Phoenix
Summary: This is one of the two sequels to "whatever doesn't kill you". This one follows Ana's future with Joker as they try to bring Gotham back under their chaos.


I got the inspiration from Suicide Squad, don't sue me. I just feel like it was a really powerful moment in the movie and even though this is Nolanverse, I just couldn't resist. Hope you guys like it :)

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\- 1 month ago -

We were standing on one of the upper platforms, nothing but concrete walls and floors around us. I glanced over my shoulder and looked down, to where nine huge containers were. They were filled with some disgusting greenish-brown liquid and the smell of heavy chemicals lingered in the air. They were slowly bubbling away, smoke lifting from the surface, but they weren't boiling. It was just the chemicals reacting over and over again, creating the boiling hot illusion. The smell was so strong it actually masked Joker's gasoline and gunpowder scent that I grew so accustomed to.

»Question...« He began, his voice heavy.

I slowly turned back to him, my back to the edge of the platform. I wondered what made him bring me here. There was nothing here apart from those chemicals and I failed to see how that could help with any of his chaotic plans to overtake Gotham.

He often dragged me along on his heists, but this was different.

»Would you die for me?« He rasped as I stared at his endless black eyes.

I really thought about it, thinking it through and through. If he had a gun pointed at him, would I step in between? That stupid stunt when Batman flipped our truck over – he asked me if I trusted him then and I did. I put my life in his hands that day. So dying for him would be like entrusting my life with him again. I thought this was another one of his little speeches to get me to do something stupid again, like when I agreed to take his fake-dead body to Gambol.

»Yes.«

»Hmm, that's, uh, that's too _easy_ ,« he said, licking his lips as he got lost in thought.

I failed to see what was so easy about it, but I knew I was about to find out. On the other hand I was quite sure he was going to test me either way, no matter my answer. I wondered where we were going with this...

»Would you...,« he began, his voice suddenly quieter as he tried to bring the words together.

»Would you _live_ for me?« He asked and pierced his gaze at me.

It always felt like he could see straight into my soul, like he could read right through me.

 _Live for him_... For some reason those words struck a chord with me. Life was so fucked up. Gotham was fucked up. And it was slowly eating away at me, even though I vowed to never let it break me. I couldn't ignore the fact that staying alive was a chore. A complete nuisance.

So actually going through all of that, enduring all of that shit on a daily basis for the sake of someone else, was a testament of pure love. Surviving for another person was harder than dying and losing the battle of life. It was easier to do nothing and just die than to fight back and live.

»Hmm?« He teased and brushed my chin with his gloved finger.

»Yes,« I said, determined.

He wiggled a finger at me, his voice suddenly a lot lower as he said:

»Careful, Harley.«

He licked his lips, a strand of badly dyed hair dangling at the side of his face. He moved closer, hunched over my small form, staring like a madman.

»Do not. No. Do _not_ say this thought-less-ly,« he whispered, his voice cracking.

He wrapped his gloved hands around my face, a knife suddenly in one hand pressed against my left cheek. But it didn't scare me. Not even when he pushed the blade in my skin a little, mimicking one of his own scars.

»Do you want this, Harley? Do you wanna, uh, _match_?« He said, licking his lips, fixating his attention on the blade.

He brushed it from my cheek to my bottom lip, pulling it down slightly with the dull side of the knife. I wondered what I'd look like with a Glasgow smile. The way he obsessed over it made me suddenly want it. I wanted to be pleasing to him. I wanted for everyone to know just who I belonged to just by seeing my face.

»I do,« I whispered back, and we both knew it was true.

»Oh, bunny,« he rasped, digging the blade in my cheek slowly, applying more and more pressure until the skin gave in and the tiniest bit of blood oozed down to my jaw line. His knife didn't go deep, he kept it just at the surface, watching the blood drops fall. He didn't move the knife anymore, and I watched as he involuntarily flinched and spasmed his right cheek scar. Seeing a knife pressed against me must have woken a memory of how he got crowned with his own smile. His scars looked so violent, so painful.

»Harley,« he breathed heavily and I could just taste him on the tip of my tongue just by seeing him so close to me.

»Do it,« I said softly, as he put his forehead against mine.

He growled and rumbled in his throat, pushing weight on my forehead with his, painting my skin white unconsciously. He grunted lowly and moved away from me, along with the knife.

»Not today,« he said and licked the blade clean, savouring the few droplets of my blood on his tongue.

»Did you mean it?« He suddenly asked, the knife gone inside his coat faster than the bare eye could see.

»Would you truly live for me?«

There was a certain desperation burning in his black orbs that made my heart weep. I knew he loved me. I was the only one he cared for. And I loved him, too. But there was only one way to prove it to him. He saved me countless times and showed me how he truly felt. Now it was my turn.

I moved one step closer to the edge of the platform behind me, not even glancing back. He watched in awe and with an ever-growing obsession in his eyes, as I slowly lifted my arms from my sides and stopped walking when my heels were dangling over the edge.

I don't know what came over me. Truthfully, Harley was known to make stupid decisions like this and Ana was gone at the moment.

I watched his eyes burn up with desire and passion as I shifted my weight to the back and fell off the platform.

His maniac stare and laugh was the last thing I saw as I gave in to the sensation of falling completely. I felt paralysing fear come over me as my body was air-borne, but I didn't let it control me. I closed my eyes and smiled at the sound of his histerical laughter.

I hit one of the chemical pools loudly, sinking deep down to the bottom of the container. I felt light-headed from the hit and held my breath and eyes tightly shut.

Somehow, the adrenaline and danger made me nearly convulse as I realised I didn't die. It was an incredible feeling that overpowered me. I felt so... **alive**.

I stayed submerged at the bottom, enjoying the sensations cursing through me. It was unreal. I wanted to do it again just to feel this wonderful high again.

And then I felt a strong wave and heard a splash before his hands found my body and he pulled me up, to the surface.

I gasped for air, finally opening my eyes, staring at him as he held me bridal style. He looked so fucking beautiful despite the disgusting liquid dripping off his entire body, off the ends of his hair and as his white and red paint slowly melted away.

The look in his eyes told me everything I needed to know. The electricity between us was back, the tension heavier than the scent of chemicals in the air. And then his lips came crushing down on mine, owning me, teeth biting at my lips, raw desire in his every move.

»I'll live for you,« I promised as he took me tighter in his embrace, tearing our clothes off as passion overtook us both.

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\- present –

My eyes fluttered open, my lungs filled with dust and ashes. I wanted to cough, but could barely stay conscious. I managed to force my eyes to look around, seeing Batman lie on the ground, knife still in his stomach, blood seeping from under him. He wasn't moving at all.

A little further up I could see Bane burried beneath parts of the brick wall, broken marble and dust all around us. The entire city hall building was demolished, no one responsive but me.

In all truth, it would be easy to die. All I had to do was just let go, close my eyes and let my mind drift away. I was on the edge of my capability.

I was too tired to fight it, it would be so sinfully pleasant to give in to my body. I could barely think straight. Everything hurt. Just breathing was fucking demanding.

But just as I closed my eyes, giving in to the promise of release, I had this pestering thought in the back of my mind. It was followed by a voice but I needed some time before I even made sense of the words, let alone who they belonged to.

 _Would you live for me?_

I growled at the memory and forced my eyes open again.

Suddenly my mind filled up with his voice and scent, his face and scars and touch.

 _Would you live for me?_

Fucker wouldn't even let me die, I thought with bitterness as I tried to regain control of my body.

 _Harley... Harleeeey..._

His voice kept saying my name over and over again until Harley took over Ana. She pushed past the pain, past the whines and struggle that Ana just didn't have the energy for anymore.

Harley is what made me slowly rotate to my side over the glass shards that surrounded me and pathetically drag myself to my knees and eventually feet. I was squatting like a proper slav, my head becoming less and less clear with each passing moment.

Everything was blurry, but my promise to him made me find the strength to get up.

»I'll live for you,« I whispered weakly.

I dragged myself toward Bane, ignoring Batman completely. I tried to move parts of the wall off of Bane, but I just wasn't strong enough. I kneeled beside him, trying to check if he was even still alive.

All I could feel was his usual searing hot skin. He was breathing slowly and that calmed me down. There was absolutely nothing I could do. So I leaned in and planted a kiss on the exposed part of his skin.

»I'm sorry Bane,« I rasped and got back up with a tear sliding down my cheek.

I tried to memorize his face, his mask, his scent. I knew this might be the last time I'd ever see him. And we shared so much history together that he made it hard for me to leave...

I started going slowly, my entire body in pain. I felt like I just got run over with a truck. Everything ached, but I was determined to go on and find shelter somewhere.

There were people lying on the streets outside, snow and ashes everywhere. They were all dead from the blast.

But I wasn't going to die. No, I made him a promise.

And as much as it pained me to leave Bane behind, I knew it was what my heart truly wanted. After all, there was only one man I lived for now. And I was going to find him. One way or the other.

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Please leave a review, let me know what you think :)


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